Houston Volunteer Cited for Feeding the Homeless Found Not Guilty

The first of nearly 45 volunteers with Food Not Bombs ticketed for feeding the homeless in downtown Houston earlier this year has been found not guilty, marking a legal victory for the mutual aid group. A jury on Friday acquitted the volunteer, Phillip Picone, of a citation for violating a city ordinance after he helped distribute food outside a public library in March. The ordinance, enacted in 2012, prevents organizations from feeding more than five people without the permission of property owners. The rule wasn’t enforced until earlier this year, according to volunteers. “This law that the city has passed is absurd,” said Paul Kubosh, the lawyer representing Picone and 36 other Food Not Bombs members, according to KPRC-TV. “It criminalizes the Samaritan for giving.” The city of Houston said in a statement after the verdict that it would continue to “vigorously pursue violations of its ordinance relating to feeding of the homeless.”